National Republican., 1887-02-24
Proposed Connscation OF District Prop

erty.
EDITOR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN: Fl. r. 9O4
in relation to socalied arrearnges Of District
taxes, passed the House on the 18th and is now
before the Senate. What is its real purpose
Is II intended to embrace the assessments OF
the late board OF public works for so.called
improvements, which have long siuce disap-
peared-for work without the authority OF law,
and In violation Of the territorial organic act,
which prohibited them? fit is not intended
to include those assessments, the COLLECTIONS oil
which have been impossible heretofore be-
cause Of the unlawful character of the work
for which they were made, it Is diilicult 70 un-
derstand the object OF the bill further than n
reduction Of the rate Of annual interest upon
tax arrearages from 10 to per cent. All else
1t proposes-the advertisement and sale OF
property lawfully in arrears for taxes-our Dis.
trict government have now full authority OF
law. If It is intended. to include those assess
ments the bill should be entitled: IAN act for
the confiscation of certain District property,
principally that Of the poor in support Spp Of the
Let me illustrate the injustice, the iniquity,
indeed, ofthis proposed act The bill provides
for advertisement and sale OF all real prop
erty" in arrears for taxes on July !, 1887 la
Guiding all taxes due to the late corporations
of Washington aud Georgetown, the levy court
of the county of Washington, aud the District
of Columbia" which latter, us understand,
is designated to embrace the late .terrltori n
government or board OF public works IL pro.
| vides also for reduction of the rate Of annual
interest from 1O to 6 per cent. -.
Now, the corporation at Washington city
ceased to exist on July 1, 1871, or sixteen years
| ago. Six per cent. per annum Tor sixteen
| years equals total of 90 per cent, Property
be coerced, II this bill should pass into law, to
bear, as its least Indebtedness, the original
debt plus 90 per cent. some OF our property
is, doubtless, In so-cnlled arrears for eighteen
and twenty years-even foria greater length o
| iime-aud, # lawfully and equitably In arrears
| such arrearages would have long since been
collected Our laws are, and have long been
| And the District Of Columbfa-the late board
| OF public works-was summarily aoolished II
1874 by Congress, or thirteen years ago. Why
| was II SO abolished? Was 1t not because of III
| notorously unlawful acts-because OF Its un
| paralleltd rapacity and utter contempt ot al
| law? What, then, is the legal value OF thos
| assessments now proposed to be collected b.
the advertisement and sale, or. rather. tn,
| conilscation, of the property againstwhich the.
are held. Many OF them may date back iltteel
years. six, per cent. per annum for hileel
years equals n total of 90 per cent, and pc
cent. per annum for thirteen years (abolt thei
latest date equals rs per cent--that, too
for pretended Improvements which have lon
| since disappeared as @ consequence of thei
utter worthlessDoss.
One case will illustrate multitude. l have
| characteristic one before me, with all the facts
piece of property with frontage of 10 feet AM
depth of 100 feet. 1t is situated on corner
In the tax receipt OF June so. 1856. the la
rendered, the property, house and los' Is M as
| the 100 feet was laid q flmsy wood pavement
which quickly rotted, and has long since dis
appeared. Later concrete surface was iai
along the 10 feet frontage: In, 1874 the lat
board assessed the property in bill of s63l.S
and subsequently in another bill which mad
the aggregate so-called Indebtedness over $40
| That sgainst property the assessed valuation c
which is only 81, 800, and for WORK without tn
| authority of law, and forbidden by the terr
| toriul organic act
Nevertheless the owner OF the property pii
the first nstallment (all she has been able
| pay q bill for $3.50 "a or a sum equal to ab "
s933 per foot of actual frontage. This lei
| however, so.called arrcaragc of $3.50. 81
per cent. lsIg6.6S) added to $500 would max
| the socalled arrearage under this bill.
passed, equal s99G.Si An arrearage OF quit
| 81 LOCO against property valued at 81 300
not that practical coniiscatlon2 Does not til
bill propose something moreover the pract
col Equalization of the unlawful acts of II
toGrd-the practical legalization of its rapacii
in insolent contempt of all law-which r
ceiyed, aud Justly, the indignant aud unqual
fed repTobation OF a Congress majority
which was, in both houses, OF its own polite
| faith?
Congress should fully understand the fact
These assessments are for work or so called 1t
provements, which have long since disa,
| peared: for work without the authority
law, prohibited by the territorial organic ac
| outside of"the four million act;' which en-
| brGced the boards whole "cOmprehensiv
plan Of public improvements, aud were sin
, | ply jobs for the benefit of contractors whic
swalmed here during lis existence, bickt
) | BY influences which II could not well ignor
r | They are for work ordered and executed, n
by agents chosen by the suifrages of our pee
| pie, hut by agents Of the national governme
D | forced upon us by Congress against our earne
protest and appointed by the President III
Ge Sa eSnId Tas aes simply the tS
certainly for its unlawful acts, is in Congrei
not in our citizens, and it is doubtful, moi
than doubtful. whether Congress by a retro
: | ptCtive oct can legallze taxation which a. |
date was unlawful or in violation of law.
certainly cannot in equity or Justice.
II is not to be believed that the House,
, passing this bill, comprehended it. purport
real scope. Apparently, upon It's face, 1t pr
. vides for an abatement Of taxes by a redncti'
ofthe rate OF annual interest on taxes In a
: rtars: For that only doubtless the Hou
voted. But 1t is the prayer of many that I
l. senate may not be so deceived but that, wi
= the facts before it, 1t will promptly reject 3
bill unless 1t is made clear that II will not !
| clude these assessments of the late board
work ordered in violation, of lazy. .Furtht
0 these assessments are held against part
wholly unable TO pay them: Tob sure Y
boss so called, of the late board when {
holder within the limits of his "comprehtt
sive plan of improvements. was reported
have replied let them get up and git."
=, That he gave utterance to a senti ment so b
y tai is doubtful. Indeed, there Is reas
= 10 believe that the report v
}, q malicious invention of his enemI
= orally believed and the expression Oft
: iteraied, and the rapacious policy which n
1 dered II probable created a clamorous indi q
Z Z power. DOW Hence il this Iii becomes a law a
$ Is supported by the courts, the couhscatit
y under IL will revive the old clamor VIII
,,la agfta fltn nj fptg rafi